BADMINTON’S OLDEST MUSEUM – A Hidden Gem

A little known secret lies in the beautiful green and pleasant landscape in Southern England……the world’s oldest and most complete badminton museum!

By George Frith, Badminton England coach. Images: Rights reserved

The sport takes its name from Badminton House, Gloucestershire, England the ancestral home of the Duke of Beaufort where the sport was often played.

The small city of Milton Keynes in Southern England is the home of badminton’s oldest museum.  Not many will know that badminton’s rules and regulations were created by a small group of people headed by Colonel SSC Dolby, a British Army Officer.  Badminton takes its roots from a version of the game which was being played in India from as early as 1860s and was brought back to England by British Army officers and their families who were stationed there.  The game involved, at first, keeping a small feathered object aloft with feet and hands.  Later came bat-like rackets which were used.  Finally, rackets strung with gut were introduced.

In 1893 Colonel Dolby called a meeting at his home “Dunbar”, Southsea of 14 badminton clubs based in southern England.  At this meeting, the game was formulated largely as we know it today including rules, regulations, scoring and court size.  An interesting footnote was that various sizes and shapes of court were suggested at this meeting including one that was “hour-glass” shaped.  It was finally agreed to form the world’s first league comprising the 14 clubs based in Southern England and an Association with rules, regulations and regular meetings.  Thereby, the World’s first badminton Association and league was born – The Badminton Association of England (now known as Badminton England).

In 1934 the Badminton Association of England was to spawn the International Badminton Federation (IBF) to encapsulate other national associations that were already in existence.  These were Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, Denmark, Scotland, France, Holland and Wales.  It is interesting to note that although Asia would become the dominant force in the sport, there was not one Asian badminton association in existence at that time.  The first President of the new IBF was none other than Sir George Thomas who inaugurated the Thomas Cup, the world’s oldest and most famous men’s team tournament.  One of  Sir George Thomas’s first duties as President was to report at the inaugural meeting in July 1934 that the Badminton Association of England had donated 200 pounds sterling to the newly formed world body!!!  The International Badminton Federation was originally based in Cheltenham, England and later re-named Badminton World Federation and moved to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in 2005.

In 1899 the Badminton Association of England decided to run a tournament called the All England which we all know to this present day as the world’s oldest international badminton tournament.  Badminton made its Olympic presence  felt as a test sport in 1988 in Seoul, Korea and a full Olympic sport in 1992 in Barcelona, Spain.

Of course we all know in this age of internet communications of the many developments within badminton which bring us to the present day.  Not least the first million-dollar team tournament, which has just been played in Asia- the Axiata Cup. One can wonder what Colonel Dolby would have made of all these developments.  He might have thought:  “I’m very pleased to have started it all way back in 1893!”

That is a short history of badminton’s beginnings – a sport which we all love and play today. If you have the opportunity to visit the Badminton Museum in Milton Keynes, the home of Badminton England, then you should.  You will be amazed at all the artefacts, from early shuttlecocks and rackets to photos and paintings, depicting early badminton.

For detailed information on badmintons history please feel free to visit the Badminton England website HERE